Boycie joins BRACE

BRACE is delighted to announce Boycie is joining BRACE as an ambassador.

Star of stage and screen, actor John Challis is best known for playing the loveable rogue ‘Boycie’ in the long running BBC sitcom Only Fools & Horses, where heis one of the best-known characters alongside the Trotter brothers.

John, who was born in Bristol but brought up in London, has had many other television roles, as diverse as appearances in The Sweeney and Last of the Summer Wine and a more recent starring role in Benidorm playing the amorous Monty in ITV’s comedy hit series.

Due to his own father Alec dying with Alzheimer’s disease, John feels very strongly about supporting dementia research and improving the quality of lives for those living with dementia.

Having been a supporter of BRACE for some time, John visited the South West Dementia Brain Bank in 2017 and took part in interviews on BBC Radio Bristol and ITV West to help publicise the importance of dementia research. The South West Dementia Brain Bank has been part-funded by BRACE for over thirty years and is an indispensable platform for dementia research.

There is also a personal connection to the Brain Bank for John, his niece Dr Laura Palmer is the Brain Bank’s manager and both her PhD and several research projects that she has worked on have also been funded by BRACE.

John Challis:

“Defeating dementia is such an important cause, and I am delighted to be able to help BRACE fulfil its mission. I know from my own family’s experience how much pain dementia can cause, and the numbers of people with the condition around the world are growing. I urge others to join in and do all they can to help medical science win this battle.”

Welcoming John as an Ambassador, BRACE Chief Executive Mark Poarch:

“It is great to have the support of a high-profile actor like John Challis. John’s commitment to fighting dementia is a strong and personal one, and he has supported us at the Brain Bank and on Twitter in recent years. We are delighted to welcome him to our team.”

BRACE is grateful to have such a well-known figure supporting the fight against dementia and the ongoing efforts to find a cure for dementia.